Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek Must Dig Philadelphia Flyers out of Hole

The Philadelphia Flyers may have won their first game under new head coach Craig Berube on Tuesday, but do not let that fool you. They still did not play that great against one of the league's weaker teams.

If Florida Panthers netminder Tim Thomas had not messed up twice and allowed two quick Philadelphia goals, the Flyers could very easily have lost.

After a dismal preseason and 1-3 start to the regular season with only five goals scored, it is clear that everyone on the team needs to step up.

Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek are both searching for their offensive games, and neither of them has had even one particularly strong game.

I understand that it is a very small sample size early in the season and there are injury concerns with both players. Regardless of the circumstances, though, their performances to this point have been unacceptable.

They are the team's best offensive players, and Giroux is in his second season as the captain of the team.

They are not old by any stretch, but they are also veterans on this relatively young Flyers squad. Besides just creating offense, Giroux and Voracek have to set an example on both ends of the ice.

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It is almost unfathomable for only Voracek to have a single point in the first four games—especially with Giroux getting consistent first-line minutes.

In what was considered a very slow start for Giroux last year, he endured one three-game stretch without a single point.

After February 1st, he had just one back-to-back scoreless stretch. He righted the ship, but starting slow would be a very bad habit to get into.

Voracek had just three back-to-back scoreless games last year and never endured a three-game cold streak. His assist against Florida in the fourth game was his first of the 2013-14 season.

The fact that they have just one assist between them is a major part of why the Flyers have started the season so poorly.

Berube shook the lines up a bit in the Panthers game, playing Wayne Simmonds and Scott Hartnell on the top line with Giroux and lining Voracek up alongside Vincent Lecavalier and Brayden Schenn.

All of those players are very talented and it should not matter who Giroux and Voracek play with.

They are immensely talented and counted on as leaders. They need to figure out a way to start producing or the Flyers will go nowhere this season.

The team is in a major rut and its two best players have to pull it out of this predicament. If they do not step up soon, the season will become a lost cause very quickly.